Two teams headed in opposite directions—the NLEX Road Warriors trending up and Barangay Ginebra San Miguel trending down—met at the Ynares Center in Antipolo for Sunday’s main game. But at the end of the night, Ginebra managed to right the ship after back-to-back losses by drubbing NLEX, 104-74, in a command performance. With the win, Tim Cone’s wards improved to 2-3, while Jong Uichico’s squad fell to 4-2 in the PBA Philippine Cup.
What Happened?
Ginebra scored the game’s first 11 points en route to a dominant 26-11 first quarter. But NLEX climbed back in the second quarter thanks mostly to the red-hot shooting of Xyrus Torres and timely contributions from JB Bahio and even John Capulong. The crowd favorites took charge again in the third with Japeth Aguilar and Scottie Thompson leading a 32-26 quarter to take a 72-59 cushion going to the final canto. Ginebra kept building on that lead in the fourth to secure only their second win this PBA Philippine Cup.
Who Stood Out?
Scottie Thompson flirted with a triple-double, finishing with 12 points, 6 rebounds, and 11 assists in a brilliant all-around game. Japeth Aguilar, meanwhile, fired 21 of his game-high 25 points to lead Ginebra in that department. Stephen Holt added 20, along with his usual stellar defense, this time against Robert Bolick.
For NLEX, Xyrus Torres was a silver lining as he erupted for 15 points, all on triples in the middle quarters to keep the fight for NLEX. Rookie John Capulong also acquitted himself quite well for the Road Warriors, muscling his way to a career-high 9 markers against Ginebra’s big frontline.
3 Keys to the Game
- Strong start. Ginebra’s 11-0 start set the tone for Ginebra, giving the crowd darlings confidence in their offense and momentum on their side.
- Aggressive Japeth. NLEX got to within 44-40 in the third, but Ginebra started looking for Japeth Aguilar against the Road Warriors’ small frontline. The Gilas mainstay delivered, scoring 13 in the third to tow Ginebra back to a double-digit lead. He added 8 more points in the fourth for good measure.
- Defense. Ginebra’s defense was on point in this game, holding down the Road Warriors to 37.7% shooting overall. Even more impressive, the crowd darlings forced 20 NLEX turnovers that kept Jong Uichico’s wards from building any momentum. In contrast, NLEX’s defense wasn’t as sharp as in their previous games, with Ginebra going off for 104 points on 52.0% shooting.
Next Up for the PBA
With PBA action heating up, the league takes the games to the Ninoy Aquino Stadium on Wednesday with another doubleheader. Two teams at the cellar—the Titan Ultra Giant Risers and Blackwater Bossing—tussle in the first game, followed by the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters taking on the Phoenix Fuel Masters in the second game.
Titan Ultra vs. Blackwater (5:15 p.m.)
Rain or Shine vs. Phoenix (7:30 p.m.)
